The Last Weekend

Today is my last Sunday in Berlin. Next Saturday morning, I will be leaving on a jet plane back to the the world of driving cars and unbearable summer heat, but I still have one week left to enjoy my time here, and I fully intend to.

Friday and Saturday, I went on excursions with the school. Friday was a walk around Schoeneberg, a very beautiful district of Berlin. Many Jewish people lived here during WW2. There are signs posted up on many of the street poles giving information about what it was like to be a Jew during the war. Some of them described general rules the Jews had to follow such as they weren't allowed to be out after dark and they always had to wear a star marking them as a Jew, and some of them described more detailed, individual stories. For example, one of the signs told about a man who was keeping a small bird in his apartment as a pet, because he really loved it. It wasn't allowed. One day, he went out and later on a Nazi was sent to his house to tell the man's wife that if she wanted his ashes, she could pay five marks for them at the crematorium. Very sad.... Here are a few pictures from the walk:

"Jews are only allowed to shop for food from 4-5 in the afternoon." (July 4, 1940)

the Schoeneberg City Hall

On Saturday, I went with the school to Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, which used to be an old Stasi prison. The prison changed hands many times, but it ended up with the East German Ministry of State Security in 1951 and was used until 1989 (when the Wall fell and the city was reunited). It was mainly used to keep prisoners who opposed anything that was East Germany. Many outspoken political figures were kept here.

Unfortunately, the tour was (of course) given in German, fast German at that, even though most of the students that went were not that advanced. Most of us couldn't understand, but our guide from school insisted that the tour guide at the prison give it in German. Oh well. It was also cold and raining and my converse were soaked and my socks were wet and I didn't have an umbrella. A kind soul I met from America offered to share his umbrella. I don't think the experience was worth it, though. If only I could have understood... Anyway, here are a couple pictures:

So, those were my two excursions this weekend. Today it was raining and cold again, so I stayed inside. I took some time to plan some places to go for my last week. The school posted their activities for this next week on their website, and it looks like there isn't anything I am really interested in. So instead, I will plan my own sightseeing adventures.

Here are a couple pictures of some good food I've eaten this past week:

A salami pizza. The guy made the crust from scratch after I ordered it, and I ate the whole thing. :)

Berlin's famous Curry Wurst. It is popular for a reason. 

I am looking forward to exploring on my own this next week. I will write about it soon. I am also looking forward to returning to sweet home Alabama.

So, because the weather has been so crazy during my time here, that will be the word of this post. It is das Wetter. Again, 'w's in German are pronounced as 'v's so it is pronounced "vet-ter." Tschuss!